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Politics of Isokyria
The politics of Isokyria take place within a framework of a single-party Nororist state, the only one of its kind in the world. In this framework, the Chairman of the Isokyrian Nororist Party serves as the de facto head of government and nominally wields absolute authority but in practice, has been constrained by various sources from within the Isokyrian government. This system developed from the political blueprint that was laid out by the state's founder, Christian Robertsson, who envisioned an Isokyrian state that was united against "degeneracy, capitalism, and communism". In essence, Isokyrian nationalism is the driving force behind all political action in Isokyria. It has been the sole and dominant ideology since the Nororist regime's creation over seventy years ago. The recent decades have seen a gradual shift from the sources of actual power within Isokyria. For the first decade of the country's life, Robertsson held uncontested absolute authority. The Party was answerable only to him and he was answerable to no one. This changed when he resigned and Elias Sigurdsson took his place. The balance of power shifted dramatically under the guise of loyalty to Robertsson. Although Sigurdsson was able to command power and authority, he faced resistance and challenges from the Party that Robertsson did not. The National Assembly was nothing more than a rubberstamp legislature that would approve whatever Sidgurdsson could propose with the blessing of the inner Party. This problem became worse under Dagnae Wihiljamsdottir but nevertheless she was able to enact major economic reforms that moved the country away from the national syndicalist economy that had been established under Robertsson. The technological developments of the 2000s interrupted the power struggles of the Chairman and the rest of the Party as both sources of power came together to deal with the rise of social media, internet activism, and globalism. The National Assembly took this opportunity to seize more power than had been de facto granted to them but were de jure entitled to. This manifested itself most dramatically with the ousting of Alexander White in the aftermath of the 2016 coup d'état attempt. This was the first time in Isokyrian history that a sitting chairman had been removed from power by the Assembly and not by the Party ahead of time. The fact this went largely uncontested signaled a new era of the balance of power in Isokyria. Nororist Party The Isokyrian Nororist Party has ruled the country since 1935 and forms the core of its political system. All politics occur within the Party's parameters, with the Chairman at the head, followed by the President of the National Assembly, the Provincial Premiers, and the members of the Assembly. Furthermore, the Party is governed by a class of unelected and quasi-official elders, whose number and scope of power has varied throughout the years. Among the general population of Isokyria, approximately 15%, or 4.8 million, are members of the Nororist Party. To join, a person must fill out an application that details their name, address, proof of citizenship, criminal background check, among other things. An oath swearing loyalty to "the ideals and legacy of the founder Christian Robertsson" and a fee of £20 are also required. Once approved, a citizen receives their official Nororist Party card which is required to attend all party meetings at the local, provisional, and national levels. Their membership card is also considered a valid form of identification by law enforcement. Membership Membership is divided into three classes. The first class, called "Regular Members", is the most basic and straightforward and constitutes the majority of party members. They have the right to attend meetings and vote in local party decision making. The highest office a Regular Member can hold is a city council seat. There are no dues for Regular Members. The second class are "Intermediate Members." Intermediate Members must pay a £14 monthly due but they are allowed to preside over local and provincial party meetings, and the highest office they can stand for are provincial council seats. First and second class members are the only classes that can be joined by application; the third class, "Experienced Members" are invitation only and require a £36 monthly due. These members are considered the highest elites of everyday Isokyrian politics, but they are still considered a step below party members involved in national politics. Provincial premiership is the highest office "Experienced Members" can stand for. When a member of the party wishes to stand for an election, they must apply with their local Nororist chapter. The chapter board will review the candidate's credentials and determine if they are eligible for office. Disqualifying factors include a history of alcoholism, unfavorable statements made against the government, criticism of the party, infidelity, bachelor status, illegitimate children, etc. Once approved, a candidate can start campaigning within the jurisdiction of the office. The Party allows incumbents to be challenged because although party membership is required, ideological differences continue to exist and many factions of the Party will contest for control for parts of the country. Foreign election monitors have consistently stated that although the lack of any other parties is a concern, there is no evidence that elections are rigged or fraudulent. Isokyria, therefore, is ranked as being somewhat more democratic than similar one-party regimes. Organization The Party is controlled primarily by the Chairman of the Isokyrian Nororist Party, currently Eydis Stefanic. She has the ability to control party policy nationwide almost unilaterally and this power has been afforded to every Chairman since Robertsson, although has become constrained in recent years. If the Chairman is answerable to anyone, it would be the National Assembly who have the power to issue motions of no confidence against the Chairman, although this power went unused until 2016. Even then, the Chairman is not legally obliged to step down. Beyond the Assembly, the Party's most senior members can exercise considerable influence over the Chairman. Ultimately, however, the Chairman has the final say on essentially all matters of state. Below the national government is a network of provincial party leaders. Each province has its own branch of the Party. Premiers of provinces act as their own local party chairman. For example, the Premier of Surhor is also the Chairman of the Surhor Nororist Party. Provincial party chapters oversee district chapters. In all, there are over 500 chapters and branches of the Nororist Party in Isokyria. Balance of power As stated before, the Chairman is theoretical ultimate authority in Isokyrian politics, but this was not always the case. When Christian Robertsson took power in 1935, he very much was the supreme leader of Isokyria who commanded great respect from all his subordinates. The National Assembly, although granted with considerable de jure powers, did not utilize them in any way that was not in line with Robertsson's agenda. This changed when Robertsson resigned and Elias Sidgurdsson took over in 1959. Suddenly, the National Assembly was far more defiant and independent in ways that would have been unthinkable in the Robertsson era, to Sidgurdsson's frustration. Factionalism began to arise, which broke down the facade of a monolithic legislature. Although the Assembly had acted rebelliously towards Sidgurdsson, he was able to exercise authority for most of his tenure, arresting and breaking up labor strikes, enacting public works programs, and accepting a de-colonialism agreement with Isokyria's African and Indonesian dependencies. The National Assembly settled down after Sidgurdsson resigned in 1969 and was largely in agreement under Wilhjalmsdottir's tenure. Factions still existed, but they were much more subdued and affected little policy. The independence of the Assembly has been gradually expanding since then, with little outward displays of dissent. Geography Future Category:Isokyria